The first convocation that I attended was when I was in year 1 at the university. The high point of the event was when the First Class graduates were called to the podium to have a handshake with the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor. It was a great event and the celebration of the 32 First Class graduates out of the total of about 4000 graduates was topnotch.
No money was given to them nor was the promise of a job offer. Under the tent where I was seated, I could hear some people complaining about such development. They were wondering why students who studied hard to attain such a feat would not be monetarily appreciated. They juxtaposed it with some people who are given millions of naira for distinguishing themselves in some social activities.
I shared their sentiment. I think that such students deserve recognition and appreciation. This will not only be a form of positive reward to them but serve as a motivation to other students.
I attended the convocation with a roommate. On our way back to the hostel, he vowed not to punish himself by studying hard for nothing. He didn't derive any motivation from what had just happened. That is the extent to which a lack of reward for such academic feats could fail to inspire other students to replicate the achievement.
Coming back to the effect of giving money as a reward to the best students, I am in support of it. Whether in education, entertainment, or industries, money maintains the same value. If achievements in entertainment and other areas of life are being rewarded with money, why would that of education be different? I don't think it is supposed to be that way. Students should see reasons to study hard and hit the top score. In the end, we are going to have healthy competition among students. When many students are reading hard to outperform one another, the result will be awesome for the system.
In the long run, it will encourage more interest in education. Imagine a first-class graduate being signed as an ambassador of an educational institution or some industries that would gain from his expertise. It shouldn't just be a beauty pageant or someone who won a singing competition that society would keep splashing millions of naira on. The student that comes out top of his class deserves to be celebrated like a celebrity. Indeed he is.
One of the major challenges that may face this kind of system is the tendency of some of the students to become desperate to attain academic excellence. They could go as far as indulging in examination malpractices. The solution now lies in the management of each institution. Putting in place a system that is resistant to corruption would help curb the problem. Many institutions today have working mechanisms to keep all these things in check.
In addition to giving monetary rewards, I love to see the brilliant graduates being given jobs in the institutions as lecturers. The challenge of this is that employment in some institutions, especially those belonging to the government, is filled with many bottlenecks. A vice Chancellor recently complained that before he can recruit one staff, the request must go through about seven departments across different ministries. This has made it difficult for them to employ.
If a reasonable amount of money is given to such graduates, they can proceed with their education by acquiring a master's degree with the money.
Whatever the negative effects of giving monetary rewards to the best students may be, I believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. They are heroes and should be appreciated and celebrated.
The pictures are mine.
